Office
Clear Microsoft Excel Cache on Mac
Clearing the cache for Microsoft Excel frees space and often fixes slow starts or misbehaving add-ins, and your workbooks and sign-in usually stay in place. Only the app's own cache inside its sandbox container should be cleared, never the shared Office folders.
Clear the Microsoft Excel cache without guessing
Microsoft Excel data usually takes 200 MB – 5 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.
Free scan · No account · Nothing is deleted without your OK · Moves to the Trash first · macOS 14+
OptiClear is a Mac app. Copy this page's link and open it on your Mac.
Email me the link- Application
- Microsoft Excel
- Typical data size
- 200 MB – 5 GB
- Category
- Office
- File Location
~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel
Microsoft Excel cache folders you can clear
Microsoft Excel has no separate cache folder. Its folders hold settings and your own data, so there is nothing to clear safely by hand.
What the Microsoft Excel cache holds
Specific to Microsoft Excel
The cache in the app's sandbox container at ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel holds temporary data, settings and AutoRecovery copies of unsaved workbooks, so it can grow over time. Clearing it helps when the app starts slowly, add-ins misbehave, or the container keeps growing. Your saved workbooks are stored wherever you chose, such as Documents or OneDrive, not inside the cache. The Personal Macro Workbook, templates and sign-in data sit in the Office folder shared with Word and PowerPoint, and clearing the cache does not touch them. Save open work first, because the AutoRecovery copies in that container may be your only backup of unsaved changes.
What happens after you clear the Microsoft Excel cache
The app rebuilds its cache the next time you open it, so the first start will be slower than usual. Your workbooks, the Personal Macro Workbook, templates and startup add-ins stay where they are, and your activation stays tied to your Microsoft account. You should not need to sign in again, because sign-in data is kept in the shared Office folder. The app's data typically takes 200 MB – 5 GB, and the cache is only part of that. Anything you move to the Trash can be restored until the Trash is emptied.
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- Account and sync
- Office is licensed through the Microsoft account that activated it; removing the app does not cancel a Microsoft 365 subscription.
Try it without risk
- Download and scan for freeSee every Microsoft Excel file and its size. No account needed.
- Clean free for 7 daysStart the 7-day free trial of the yearly plan inside the app.
- Keep it or cancelCancel in your App Store settings at least 24 hours before the trial ends and you won't be charged.
After the free trial, Pro costs $39.99 per year in your country's App Store; cancel any time.